Griffin’s Restaurant: Home of the Whoa Burger

Posted by YAR20 Apr 2010No Comments

I hesitated to go in when I pulled up at Griffin’s (3224 W. Capitol St., Jackson) because there were no cars around and I wasn’t sure it was open. But then I smelled something delicious and realized it was definitely open for business. Several people trickled in and out to pick up their orders while I waited for my burger — it is definitely a call-ahead joint if you are in any hurry.

The menu lists regular burgers and “Whoa Burgers.” I had never heard of the latter — according to the young man who took my order, the Whoa Burger is the largest burger in the state. When I asked how big it is, he made a pretty hard-to-believe indication of size with his hands and said “About 32 ounces,” to which I responded without thinking, “Whoa!”

Despite its size, a Whoa Burger only costs $6.50, which includes a drink and fries. That is kind of ridiculous. But the cashier pretty much would not let me order a Whoa Burger, directing me instead to the Whoa Jr., a 16-oz burger. Since when is a 1 pound burger “junior” to anything? Also, it only costs a dollar less than the regular Whoa Burger. I agreed to get the Junior, beginning to believe that this alleged Whoa Burger was a joke that Griffin’s plays on new customers.

The Whoa Jr. was quite good. It looks pretty unassuming in the photo above, but note the grease soaking into the bun — I consider that a good sign. I got everything on it, which consisted of lettuce, tomato, pickle, cheese, ketchup, mustard, mayo, and some wonderful sauteed onions. The patty was hand-formed, seasoned with just a little salt, and was probably medium-well but still had a little juice to it. The fries were frozen ones, but they came with a lemon pepper seasoning that made them better than your average frozen fries.

Here’s another angle for a sloppier view of the burger. As I ate the fries I found myself saying “whoa!” for a second time, when I made this shocking discovery:

THERE WAS A WHOA BURGER UNDER MY FRIES.

I am not sure what happened. Maybe I got the wrong order, maybe he felt bad for discouraging me from the Whoa Burger in the first place, or maybe he does this for all the girls. I also don’t know whether the burger that came in the bun was actually part of the Whoa, or whether I got both a Whoa and a Whoa Jr. Nor do I know how the Whoa Burger is usually served — I doubt it generally comes hidden under the fries and without a bun of its own. It would need one giant bun or three or four regular ones. I plan to bring several people with me next time and find out.

In any case, I liked my burger and will be going back to Griffin’s. The menu includes chicken-on-a-stick (like the burgers, these are apparently abnormally large), pork chops, po boys, wings, fried fish and shrimp, and something called a “SupaDog” that I am almost afraid to ask about.

Griffin’s is open Tues-Sat, 11am - 9pm. Their number is (601) 960-9495.

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